The Year of the Working Dogs?

Posted By Billy Wheeler

Two months into the new year, our top campaigners are starting to emerge. While five of the Top Ten Dogs All Breeds are holdovers from 2012, two have already implemented the predictable post-Westminster wind down. Another four of the Top Ten were active most, if not all, of last year. Only the Portuguese Water Dog, GCH CH Claircreek Impression de Matisse, was not among the country’s Top 100 Dogs All Breeds in 2012.

Being the numbers nerd that I am, I see a couple of interesting things emerging in these early numbers. We do have two Sporting Dogs in our Top Ten, last year’s Number One Dog All Breeds, the German Wirehaired Pointer, GCH CH Mt View’s Ripsnorter Silver Charm (Oakley), and the Clumber Spaniel, GCH CH Clussexx Collaboration with Traddles (Seymour), and two more in the Top Twenty, the Golden Retriever, GCH CH Summit’s Emery It’s in the Bag (Chloe), and 2012’s Number Two Dog All Breeds, the English Springer Spaniel, GCH CH Wynmoor Champagne Supernova (Peyton). Both Oakley and Peyton have reduced their show schedules, leaving the field open to others this year.

Hounds are still rare among the top rankings, and ironically two of our most rare breeds represent the group, the Number Two Dog, the American Foxhound, GCH CH Kiarry’s Pandora’s Box (Jewel), and the Number 17 Dog, the Harrier, GCH CH Downhome Hitech Innovator (Chet). With four dogs this year in the Top Ten, the Working group is shaping up as the most competitive at most shows. In the Top Ten are the Doberman Pinscher, GCH CH Protocol’s Veni Vidi Vici (FiFi), the PWD, Matisse, the Standard Schnauzer, GCH CH Blackhawk Finnegan’s Wake (Finn), and the Rottweiler, GCH CH Chancellor Flirt’s Hi Flyin’ Gladiator. The Great Dane, GCH CH Longo Miller N Lore’s Diamond Lil, joins in at the Number 18 position.

Our current Number One Dog, the Wire Fox Terrier, GCH CH AfterAll Painting the Sky (Sky), not only leads all dogs by more than 4,000 points, she has almost 11,000 points on the current Number Two Terrier, the Russell Terrier, GCH CH Goldsand’s Columbus (Bosse), who comes in at Number 16 in the all-breed rankings. Joining them at Number 20 is the Miniature Schnauzer, GCH CH Allaruth Just Kidding v Sole Baye (Justin). Surprisingly, we have only two Toy Dogs among our Top Twenty, the Number Three Dog, the Miniature Pinscher, GCH CH Marlex Classic Red Glare (Classie), and the Number 19 Dog, the Pug, GCH CH Hill Country Tag I’m It (JJ).

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the presence of just one Non-Sporting Dog in the Top Twenty: the Number Six Dog, the Standard Poodle, GCH Brighton Lakeridge Encore (Ally). Ally is being shown on a limited basis this year and is unlikely to stay among the leaders for long. Only once in the last five years has there not been a Standard Poodle among our Top Ten. There are several candidates out this year that could possibly fill the void. Once again we have a trio of Herding Dogs hoping to make it into the Top Ten. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, GCH CH Aubrey’s Tails of Mystery (Libby), and the Shetland Sheepdogs, GCH CH PaRay Preferential (Satori) & GCH CH Grandgables The Frat Boy (Brother), come in a Numbers 12, 13 & 14, respectively.

Check back with me on Wednesday, and I will tell you how the entry at this month’s Kentuckiana Cluster could affect the race. And that’s today’s Back Story.

Billy Wheeler has been attending dog shows as a spectator and exhibitor for over 40 years. Billy is the man behind the popular Dog Show Poop. He is a retired management consultant who has advised multiple organizations affiliated with the AKC and the Cat Fanciers Association on business management, long range planning, customer service, and legislative matters. After 25 years of living in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, he now resides in his hometown of Memphis TN with his wife, Brenda, her Toy Poodle and his Cairn, Scottie, & IG. When he is not blogging, Billy can be found in the kitchen cooking, and listening to opera.

I have a great looking Saint Bernard, that is 19 mos. She has 14 points and 4 majors.
At the Bluegrass Classic in Lexington Ky. She won best of breed and defeated GCHs. Yet did not win best of show. She was in Eukanuba and won winner bitch. Why is it that Saints rarely win best in show?

BJ, it would really be impossible for us to say why Saints rarely win Best in Shows. Sometimes there are trends, when a particular breed might win more than it did in a different time period, and sometimes there is a particular dog that wins more Groups or Best in Shows than the typical specimen of the breed, but the reasons that one breed, on average, wins fewer top awards than another is a question I think it would be quite difficult for anyone to answer reliably. I will tell you that it is impressive that your bitch was Best of Breed over the champions and grand champions in Lexington, and although she didn’t go on to win Best in Show, you should be very proud of the success she’s had.

Hi BJ,
There is a multiple Best In Show winning Saint Bernard that advertises with us regularly, “Aristocrat”, owned by the Bakers and there are others with multiple group placements. Thank you for being part of our audience and adding to the conversation! Kayla